Press freedom improves, but major NGO calls for more

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has acknowledged Mongolia's 'positive steps' towards media liberalisation but called for further reforms to guarantee press freedom.

The RSF says Mongolia's media environment has improved, but further reforms are needed. (Credit: Unsplash)

The call comes ahead of the UN’s review of Mongolia’s human rights performance next week, a standard process that periodically occurs for all 193 UN member states.

The RSF, an international non-profit that advocates for the freedom of information, says that Mongolia has made ‘positive steps’ towards media liberalisation and acknowledges that the overall environment for media has improved in the last few years.

However, it is calling for ironclad reforms to guarantee editorial freedom for journalists.

“RSF commends the positive steps taken by Mongolia in the past decades towards media liberalisation, but its regulation still requests significant reforms guaranteeing editorial freedom for journalists and a better protection of their sources,” Cédric Alviani, RSF East Asia Bureau Head, said.

“Although Mongolia broadly respects the principles of liberty and media pluralism, its regulation still lacks basic legal protections for confidential sources and current defamation laws lead to journalistic self-censorship or harsh fines."

Prior to the election in June, the RSF called for candidates to support media freedom as a method of combatting corruption.

Mongolia currently ranks 73 out of 179 on the RSF’s Press Freedom Index 2020.